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Day 24

15 minutes of gamekeeping for giraffes and elephants in Kenya

Guardian angels for giraffes and elephants Guardian angels for giraffes and elephants

15 minutes of gamekeeping for giraffes and elephants in Kenya
Day 24
Saving endangered wildlife in Kenya

Multi-day missions in the Kenyan wilderness, countless kilometers cross-country, on foot and in off-road vehicles, tracking down animal traps, catching poachers and rescuing elephants - this is the everyday life of the six-person gamekeeper team. Every day, the gamekeepers roam the Tsavo East National Park, the largest national park in the East African country. Their work is important, but also arduous and dangerous. In 2019 alone, the gamekeeper teams seized over 5,000 traps. These traps are set by poachers to illegally catch wild animals and then usually sell them. Since the patrols began, the gamekeepers have already rescued over 6,500 injured animals that would probably have died from their injuries without help. The ten teams are the "guardian angels" of the wild animals in Tsavo East National Park.

Saving endangered wildlife in Kenya
need
Protection of endangered species such as elephants, rhinos, giraffes and other wild animals in Kenya.
activity
The Mtito game warden team dismantles traps, tracks down poachers and helps rescue injured wild animals.
Measurable performance
Duration of the deployment of the game rangers in Tsavo East National Park.
Result
Poaching is declining and populations of endangered elephants, giraffes and rhinos are recovering.
Systemically relevant impact
Criminal structures disappear from the surrounding villages. Endangered animal species are protected sustainably.
background

Tsavo National Park is known for its high biodiversity. Giraffes, rhinos, lions, leopards and cheetahs are just some of the endangered wildlife species that roam this savannah. The park is also home to the country's largest elephant population. Unfortunately, poaching, in addition to habitat loss, poses a major threat to the survival of wildlife (Wato, Y. et al., 2006). Poachers particularly target elephants and rhinos, which can be attributed to the illegal trade in ivory and rhino horn. They use poison arrows, spears and wire snares. African elephants are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List and black rhinos are even listed as critically endangered (IUCN, 2020). Giraffes are also increasingly being poached for their meat or leather and sold on illegal markets. As a result, two of the nine giraffe subspecies are now threatened with extinction, and two others are critically endangered (IUCN, 2020). But numerous other wild animals are also caught in the wire snares laid out by poachers. In order to protect endangered wild animal species, gamekeepers must therefore be deployed. This is also shown by Kenya's last wildlife census: the populations of elephants and giraffes have increased again in recent years as a result of the protection measures (KWS, 2017).

Day 24 Day 24
The good deed

By doing your good deed today, you are enabling the gamekeepers to do their work and making a significant contribution to protecting wild animals such as elephants, rhinos, and giraffes in Tsavo East National Park. On their daily patrols, the gamekeepers disable traps, locate poachers' locations, and destroy their hiding places on the ground. They help with rescue operations to free and care for injured wild animals caught in snares. They take action against illegal deforestation and grazing in the national park, thereby protecting the habitat of endangered animals and the sensitive ecosystem. Together with the authorities, they investigate poachers and assist in arrests. The local population is involved in the project and is committed to protecting wild animals and their habitat. To this end, the nature conservation authorities, gamekeepers, and the local population work closely together to ensure that all interests are in harmony with nature conservation.

AboutKenya
Nairobi
Nairobi
Capital city
52,573,970
52,573,970
Population
$3,052
$3,052
Gross domestic product per capita per year
Rank 147 of 189
Rank 147 of 189
Human Development Index (Human Development Index)

The “red elephants of Tsavo” owe their colour to the red earth in the national park, with which the pachyderms dust themselves in daily mud and dust baths.
About the organization and further information

organization

Action Group for Species Protection (AGA) eV

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Further links